Conventionally, there is a game apparatus that detects the attitude of a controller by a gyro sensor, sets the moving direction of a moving object in a game space on the basis of the attitude of the controller, and causes the moving object to move in the moving direction.
Such a game apparatus, however, sets the moving direction of the moving object on the basis of the attitude of the controller, and also fires the moving object in the game space by performing a button operation. Thus, there is room for improvement in the variety of operations performed by a player, and the variety in games.
Therefore, it is a feature of the exemplary embodiments to provide a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program in which the variety of operations performed on an operation device and the variety in games are improved, a game system, a game apparatus, and a game processing method in which the variety of operations performed on an operation device and the variety in games are improved.
The inventors have provided a game system and the like that employ the following configurations, which are non-limiting examples.
As an example, there is provided a game system including a game apparatus and an operation device having an input surface. The operation device includes attitude data output means, touch data output means, and operation data transmission means. The attitude data output means outputs attitude data that changes in accordance with a change in an attitude of the operation device. The touch data output means outputs touch data representing a touch position at which a player performs a touch operation on the input surface. The operation data transmission means transmits the touch data and the attitude data to the game apparatus.
The game apparatus includes first reception means, attitude acquisition means, game processing means, first image generation means, and first image output means. The first reception means receives the touch data and the attitude data. The attitude acquisition means acquires the attitude of the operation device on the basis of the attitude data. The game processing means calculates a control direction in a game space on the basis of the attitude of the operation device, and performs, on the basis of the touch data, game processing based on the control direction. The first image generation means generates a first game image by capturing the game space with a first virtual camera set in the game space. The first image output means outputs the first game image to a first display device different from the operation device.
It should be noted that the attitude data output means may be an inertial sensor that detects a motion, such as a gyro sensor, an angular velocity sensor, or the like that detects the attitude of the operation device. Further, the attitude data output means may be a magnetic sensor that detects an orientation, or may be a capturing section that captures a predetermined capturing target (markers described later or the like). The attitude data output means may be a combination of these components. That is, the attitude data output from the attitude data output means may be data concerning a physical amount output from an inertial sensor, data concerning an orientation output from a magnetic sensor, image data output from a capturing section, data including the above data, or the like. Further, for example, the control direction may be the moving direction of a predetermined object, the capturing direction of the first virtual camera, the direction to which the moving direction of an object is changed, or the like. Furthermore, the game apparatus may be a versatile information processing apparatus such as a personal computer.
With the above configuration, it is possible to calculate the control direction in the game space on the basis of the attitude of the operation device, and perform game processing corresponding to the control direction on the basis of the touch data. For example, when the moving direction of a predetermined object is calculated as the control direction, it is possible to cause the predetermined object to move in its moving direction in accordance with the attitude of the operation device. Further, for example, when the capturing direction of the first virtual camera is calculated as the control direction, the execution of game processing corresponding to the capturing direction causes an image of the game space to be displayed on the first display device in accordance with the attitude of the operation device. The use of the touch data enables a greater variety of operations than a button operation.
In addition, in another configuration, the game processing means may include object control means for setting a moving direction of a predetermined object in the game space on the basis of the control direction.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set the moving direction of the predetermined object in the game space on the basis of the attitude of the operation device.
In addition, in another configuration, the object control means may cause the predetermined object to move on the basis of the touch data.
With the above configuration, it is possible to cause the predetermined object to move on the basis of the touch data. For example, when a touch-on operation has been detected, or when a touch-off operation has been detected, it is possible to cause the predetermined object to move.
In addition, in another configuration, the object control means may determine, on the basis of the touch data, whether or not the touch operation on the input surface has been ceased, and may cause the predetermined object to move in accordance with the cessation of the touch operation.
With the above configuration, when the state where the touch operation is performed on the input surface has made the transition to the state where the touch operation is not performed on the input surface, it is possible to cause the predetermined object to move.
In addition, in another configuration, the object control means may control an attitude of the predetermined object in accordance with the attitude of the operation device.
With the above configuration, it is possible to control the attitude of the predetermined object in accordance with the attitude of the operation device.
In addition, in another configuration, the game processing means may include first virtual camera setting means for setting an attitude of the first virtual camera on the basis of the attitude of the operation device.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set the attitude of the first virtual camera on the basis of the attitude of the operation device, and change, in accordance with the attitude of the operation device, the first game image to be displayed on the first display device.
In addition, in another configuration, the first virtual camera setting means may perform zooming in or zooming out on the game space by changing a setting of the first virtual camera on the basis of the touch data.
With the above configuration, it is possible to perform zooming in or zooming out on the game space in accordance with the touch operation performed on the input surface. For example, it is possible to display the game space in an enlarged or reduced manner by changing the zoom setting of the first virtual camera, or causing the first virtual camera to move in the capturing direction.
In addition, in another configuration, the first virtual camera setting means may determine, on the basis of the touch data, whether or not a slide operation has been performed on the input surface, and, when the slide operation has been performed, may change the setting of the first virtual camera.
With the above configuration, it is possible to change the setting of the first virtual camera in accordance with the slide operation performed on the input surface. This makes it possible to perform zooming in or zooming out on the game space in accordance with the slide operation.
In addition, in another configuration, the first virtual camera setting means may set the attitude of the first virtual camera such that an amount of change in the attitude of the first virtual camera is greater than an amount of change in the attitude of the operation device.
With the above configuration, it is possible to make the amount of change in the attitude of the first virtual camera greater than the amount of change in the attitude of the operation device. This makes it possible that when, for example, the attitude of the operation device has been changed by a predetermined angle, the first virtual camera is rotated by an angle greater than the predetermined angle.
In addition, in another configuration, the game processing means may include aim position setting means for setting a position of an aim object in the first game image on the basis of the attitude of the operation device. In this case, the object control means controls the moving direction of the predetermined object on the basis of the position of the aim object.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set the position of the aim object on the basis of the attitude of the operation device, and control the moving direction of the predetermined object on the basis of the position of the aim object.
In addition, in another configuration, the aim position setting means may set the position of the aim object in a predetermined range in accordance with the attitude of the operation device, and, when the position of the aim object is out of the predetermined range, may set the position of the aim object at a boundary of the predetermined range.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set the aim object in the predetermined range in accordance with the attitude of the operation device. This makes it possible, for example, to prevent the player from changing the attitude of the operation device more significantly than the case where the aim object is always displayed at the center of the first game image.
In addition, in another configuration, the aim position setting means may define the attitude of the operation device as a reference attitude when a predetermined portion of the operation device is directed to a screen of the first display device, and, when the operation device is in the reference attitude, may set the position of the aim object to a predetermined position in the first game image. Further, when the operation device is in an attitude different from the reference attitude, the aim position setting means may set the position of the aim object to a position shifted from the predetermined position in the first game image, in accordance with an amount of change in the attitude of the operation device from the reference attitude.
With the above configuration, the player can change the position of the aim object from the predetermined position (e.g., the center of the first game image) by changing the attitude of the operation device from the reference attitude.
In addition, in another configuration, the game processing means may include aim position setting means for setting a position of an aim object in the first game image on the basis of the attitude of the operation device. In this case, the first virtual camera setting means sets a capturing direction of the first virtual camera on the basis of the position of the aim object.
With the above configuration, it is possible to calculate the position of the aim object on the basis of the attitude of the operation device, and also set the capturing direction of the first virtual camera on the basis of the position of the aim object.
In addition, in another configuration, the first virtual camera setting means may set, as a capturing direction of the first virtual camera, a direction from a position of the first virtual camera to a position located in the game space in a direction determined by a predetermined method, and also to a position corresponding to the position of the aim object.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set, as the capturing direction of the first virtual camera, the direction from the position of the first virtual camera to a position corresponding to the position of the aim object. The position corresponding to the position of the aim object is the position located in the direction, determined by the predetermined method, from the position of the first virtual camera. The direction determined by the predetermined method may be, for example, the facing direction of the player character, may be the direction determined by a predetermined algorithm, or may be the direction determined by the operation performed by the player.
In addition, in another configuration, the game apparatus may further include second image output means for outputting to the operation device a second game image different from the first game image. Further, the operation device may further include second reception means and display processing means. The second reception means receives the second game image from the game apparatus. The display processing means causes the second game image to be displayed on a second display device provided in the operation device.
With the above configuration, the second display device is provided in the operation device. This makes it possible to cause the second game image to be displayed on the second display device.
In addition, in another configuration, the game apparatus may further include second image generation means for generating the second game image by capturing the game space with a second virtual camera set in the game space.
With the above configuration, the second game image captured by the second virtual camera set in the game space can be displayed on the second display device. Further, the second game image is generated by the game apparatus, and is transmitted to the operation device. This makes it possible to manage the game space and generate the game image in a collective manner in the game apparatus.
In addition, in another configuration, the game apparatus may further include second virtual camera setting means for setting an attitude of the second virtual camera in accordance with the attitude of the operation device.
With the above configuration, it is possible to set the attitude of the second virtual camera in accordance with the attitude of the operation device. This allows the player to change the second game image displayed on the second display device, by changing the attitude of the operation device.
In addition, in another configuration, the touch data output means may be a touch panel provided on a screen of the second display device.
With the above configuration, it is possible to use the touch panel as a device that detects the touch position at which the player performs the touch operation on the input surface.
In addition, in another configuration, the attitude data output means may be an inertial sensor.
With the above configuration, it is possible to use at least either one of an acceleration sensor and an angular velocity sensor as the attitude data output means.
It should be noted that another example may be a game apparatus included in the game system. Yet another example may be a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a game program that causes a computer of a game apparatus (including an information processing apparatus) to function as the means described above. Yet another example may be a game processing method performed by the game apparatus or in the game system.
It should be noted that when used in the present specification, the term “computer-readable storage medium” refers to a given device or medium capable of storing a program, code, and/or data to be used in a computer system. The computer-readable storage medium may be volatile or nonvolatile so long as it can be read in the computer system. Examples of the computer-readable storage medium include, but are not limited to, magnetic tapes, Hard Disk Drives (HDD), Compact Discs (CD), Digital Versatile Discs (DVD), Blu-ray Discs (BD), and semiconductor memories.
Based on the exemplary embodiments described above, it is possible to perform game processing in accordance with various operations performed on an operation device, and provide an interesting game.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting example embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.